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Cephalonia-Lefkas Transform Fault Zone (CLTFZ) Complexity: Insights from 2015 Lefkas Earthquake Sequence

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Cephalonia-Lefkas Transform Fault Zone (CLTFZ) Complexity: Insights from 2015 Lefkas Earthquake Sequence Journal of Geography, Environment and Earth Science International 21(1): 1-12, 2019; Article no.JGEESI.49088 ISSN: 2454-7352 Cephalonia-lefkas Transform Fault Zone (CLTFZ) Complexity: Insights from 2015 Lefkas Earthquake Sequence Andreas Karakonstantis1*, Kyriaki Pavlou1, Vasilis Kapetanidis1 and Georgios Bozionelos1 1National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Ilissia, Zografou 157 84,Grece. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration among all authors. Author AK designed the study, managed the literature searches, wrote the protocol and the first draft of the manuscript. Author KP performed the Coulomb Stress Transfer Analysis, author VK managed the catalogue unification, analysis and statistics and author GB determined the Focal mechanism solutions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/JGEESI/2019/v21i130119 Editor(s): (1) Dr. Kingsley Eghonghon Ukhurebor, Lecturer, Department of Physics, Edo University Iyamho, Edo State, Nigeria. Reviewers: (1) Agu Eensaar, Tallinn University, Estonia. (2) Orhan Polat, Dokuz Eylul University, Turkey. (3) Vinay Kumar, Florida State University, USA. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sdiarticle3.com/review-history/49088 Received 06 March 2019 Accepted 13 May 2019 Original Research Article Published 18 May 2019 ABSTRACT In order to define a better model for the Cephalonia-Lefkas Transform Fault Zone the sequence of 2015 Lefkas earthquake was examined. On 17 November 2015 (07:10 GMT) a major earthquake (Mw=6.4) occurred on the central-western part of Lefkas island. Several destructive events were located in the past in this fault zone, so an extensive seismotectonic study is feasible for that area. Manual analysis was performed using a custom velocity model that was determined for that purpose, applying the average travel-time residuals and location uncertainties errors minimization method. Several clusters belonging to the aftershock sequence were identified, whereas three are directly related to the causative fault, covering an area of about 25 km. The central one, which includes the mainshock, comprises of only a few aftershocks. The northern, within which the majority of aftershocks are located, lies in the central part of Lefkas island and the southern _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]; Karakonstantis et al.; JGEESI, 21(1): 1-12, 2019; Article no.JGEESI.49088 occurred close to the SW edge of the island. In addition, offshore clusters with distinct characteristics have been identified to the south, between Lefkas and Cephalonia islands. The temporal evolution of the aftershock sequence indicates that no migration was observed, given that after the occurrence of the mainshock the entire epicentral area was activated. Focal mechanisms of the Seismological Laboratory of the University of Athens showed dextral strike-slip faulting for both mainshock and major aftershocks of the sequence. Taking into account the spatial distribution of the aftershocks, supported by the tectonic and geomorphological settings of the region, a deformation pattern, consisting of the Cephalonia-Lefkas and Ithaca-Lefkas major fault zones which converge in the area of Vassiliki bay is proposed. The appearance of the southernmost clusters was interpreted by the positive Coulomb stress changes transfer due to major earthquake Mw=6.4. Keywords: Seismotectonic analysis; releasing bends; restraining bends; lefkas aftershock sequence; Western Greece. 1. INTRODUCTION as the Pre-Apulian (or Paxos) and Ionian [14], forming the External Hellenides terrain. These The Hellenic peninsula is bounded by important structures which have resulted by a subduction- geologic and tectonic features such as the Alpine related compressional regime are coaxial with mountain chain to the North, caused by the earlier Alpine ones resulting from the collision of collision between Europe and Africa [1], the the Pre-Apulian plate with Eurasia. The mountain North Anatolian Fault zone to the East chain of Hellenides located between southern [2,3,4,5,6], created by the lateral motion of Albania and the Gulf of Corinth plays an Anatolia with respect to the European tectonic important role on the seismotectonics of the plate [7] and the Hellenic arc to the south, region. characterized by the subduction of Tethys oceanic crust [8]. The Ionian Islands are separated from the mainland by rapidly extensional Pliocene- The area of Western Greece (Fig. 1.) which is Quaternary basins [15,16]. The oldest sediments running from the Greek-Albanian borders to the that fill those basins are of Pliocene age. In southern edge of Peloponnese and from the Lefkas Island, carbonate and clastic sediments of Ionian Islands to eastern Thessaly and the Hellenic arc external geotectonic units Macedonia lies between a continental collision dominate the geological setting [17]. The zone to the north (Adria Microplate-Eurasia) and geotectonic units of Paxos and Ionian are the Hellenic Trough to the south, where separated by a major west-directed thrust [18, remnants of the Eastern Mediterranean oceanic 19,14], marked by Triassic evaporitic domes [20]. crust subduct under the Aegean continental lithospheric microplate. These zones are linked The majority of strong earthquakes in the with the Cephalonia-Lefkas Transform Fault broader region have mainly occurred along the Zone (CLTFZ), playing an important role in the main tectonic features, such as the CLTFZ. geodynamics of the area. Seismological data for Lefkas Island is characterized by the occurrence the CLTFZ indicate right-lateral strike-slip focal of large earthquakes, both during the historical mechanisms [9,10] which is in agreement with and the instrumental era, causing significant the geodetic data revealing the NNE–SSW damage [21,22]. Most events were located close direction of slip motion [11,12]. The seismic to the NW part of the island. More specifically, strain rate is well correlated with the principal the 22 November 1704 (M=6.3), the 12 October horizontal axis of the total geodetic strain rate 1769 (M=6.7), the 23 March 1783 (M=6.7), the field. Some smaller neotectonic structures are 28 December 1869 (M=6.4) and the 27 mainly expressed by minor faults that strike November 1914 (M=6.3) earthquakes were NNE-SSW to E-W direction, overprinting the pre- among the most significant ones. They caused existing thrust-related Plio-Quaternary features, several deaths, injuries, collapse of buildings, breaking up the island in multiple independent fissures, liquefactions and landslides at the fault blocks [13]. northwestern and central parts of the island. This is the reason why most epicenters of the The broader area of study is characterized by a historical earthquakes are located close to the series of NW–SE striking geotectonic units, such northern end of the CLTFZ, in the Ionian Sea [23, 2 Karakonstantis et al.; JGEESI, 21(1): 1-12, 2019; Article no.JGEESI.49088 24]. More recently, on 14 August 2003 (05:14 (2015) earthquake sequence, in the vicinity of GMT), a large earthquake (Mw=6.3) with a focal CLTFZ. depth of 9 km occurred close to the NW coast of Lefkas Island [18,25,26]. 2.1 Construction of Local Velocity Model On the other hand, only two large events have In the present study, the best located events been located close to the southwestern edge of were used to obtain an accurate local 1D velocity the Lefkas Island, an area that belongs to the model for the broader area of Lefkas Island. The central part of the CLTFZ. Nevertheless, initial earthquake locations for the area of important microseismic activity is observed. The Western Greece were obtained using the two events, related to this area, are the 22 regional velocity model derived by [29]. The February 1723 (M=6.7) and the 22 April 1948 selected events had at least fourteen (14) P- and (M=6.5) earthquakes. Concerning the latter eight (8) S-wave arrival times. The present model event, it caused damage at the SW part of the was determined by applying the average travel- island, while fissures and tsunami waves were time residuals and location uncertainties errors also observed. Two months later, on 30 June (RMS, ERX, ERY, ERZ) minimization method 1948, an earthquake of magnitude M=6.4 [30,31,32]. The obtained local velocity model occurred at the NW part of the island. (Table 1) yielded improved hypocentral solutions with smaller errors than those derived by the A strong earthquake of moment magnitude initial one (Table 2). Mw=6.4 occurred on 17 November 2015 at the The value of Vp/Vs ratio was obtained using the western part of Lefkas Island, causing some following methods: a) Chatelain (1978), that damage, landslides and ground fissures. In the consists of determining the slope of the straight present study, this earthquake sequence is best-fit line of the difference between S-wave investigated in detail. For that purpose, precise and P-wave travel-times for each couple of hypocentral locations are required. The latter stations and for each event and b) the travel-time were obtained using a local velocity model that is residuals and location uncertainties errors (RMS, determined in this study. ERX, ERY, ERZ) minimization method. The last mentioned Vp/Vs ratio determination method 2. DATA AND METHODS follows the same procedure that was performed in order to define velocity and ceiling depth for The present study focuses in the area of Central each layer.
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